Social studies

Resources for Students

Social Studies

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Current Events

• CNNfyi - Daily news for students from CNN.
• Yahoo! News - Top news stories of the day.
• USA Today - Daily news, weather, and sports.

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Geography

• Countries and Regions
  • The CIA World Factbook - Lots of information on countries of the world. Good for reports.
  • World Reference Desk - Facts, maps and graphs about the countries of the world. This is another site that is good for country reports.
  • The Cultural Profiles Project - This is a great site if you have been assigned a report on a country and need to find information on family life, health, education, holidays, food, religion, etc.
  • How Far is It? - Use this site to calculate the distance between two cities. This site will also give you a map showing the locations of the two cities.
  • The United Nations Cyber Schoolbus - The Resource Source has information on countries of the world and information on the UN.
  • Do It Carribean - There are fact sheets and links to more information for each country in the Carribean.
  • East and Southeast Asia: An Annotated list of Internet Resources - Excellent collection of links to these countries and also to Asian-American web sites.
  • Glacier - Take a virtual visit to the continent of Antarctica.
  • RiverResource - Links to information about rivers in general and about specific rivers and canals.
  • Geography World - Lots of links to geographical information.
  • People to People International - Student Ambassador Program - A great way to travel to other countries.
• Canada
  • The Canadian Encyclopedia Online
  • Teaching and Learning about Canada - Many links to information about Canada.
  • Oh Canada - Information on the history and geography. This site also has information about the national symbols and flag.
• Mexico
  • Mexico for Kids - Information about the country, people, holidays and food.
• Puerto Rico
  • Welcome to Puerto Rico - Information on the geography, history and culture. There is also information on the cities of Puerto Rico.
  • A Collector's Vision of Puerto Rico - Art and culture of Puerto Rico.
• United States
  • Class Brain State Reports - You will find most or maybe all of the information you need to do your state report.
  • 50 States and Capital Cities - This is the place to start if you need things like state capital, state tree, state flag, etc. It is a little hard to figure out where things are at this site, but just keep clicking away and you will find lots and lots of information about each state plus pictures.
  • Stately Knowledge - The basic facts about each state in the union and links to other sources of information.
  • Yahoo's links to information about each state of the United States
  • The Great Lakes Information Network - All kinds of information about the Great Lakes including maps.
  • Pennsylvania - The official homepage for the state of Pennsylvania.
  • Pennsylvania Geography - Collection of links by the students of Lakeland High School.
• Cities
  • City Comparisons - Compare US cities for cost of living, education, pollution, weather, taxes, etc. etc.
• Maps
  • All the World's Maps - Huge directory of maps of countries and cities from Embassy World.
  • National Geographic Map Machine - Political and physical maps of the countries of the world. There are also photographs of the earth from weather satellites.
  • National Atlas on Schoolnet - Great resource for learning about Canadian geography. Also there are some good world maps here that you might use for school projects.
  • The National Atlas of Canada
  • Maps and References - Maps of countries, states, and cities plus interactive maps and java enhanced maps.
  • Perry - Castenada Map Collection - Big collection of state and country maps from the University of Texas.
  • City Maps - Maps of the cities of the world.
• Flags and National Anthems
  • Flags of All Countries - This is an extensive collection of flags.
  • International Civic Arms - Coats of Arms for cities and provinces of countries.
  • Anthems and Flags of the Nations of the World

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Government

• National US Government
  • Ben's Guide to the US Government for Kids - A good guide to how the various branches of the goverment operate.
  • The Almanac of Politics and Government - Lots of information about the US and foreign governments.
  • The United States Senate
  • The United States House of Representatives
  • Kids in the House - A web site about the US House of Representatives especially designed for kids.
  • The Supreme Court
  • The US Electoral College - Information on the people who actually vote for the US President.
  • The Department of Justice for Kids - Find out how courts work, and take a look at the 10 most wanted criminals. There is also a section on Internet safety.
  • The Census Bureau - Information on the population and tons of facts about the United States.
• The President
  • The White House for Kids - Learn about the history of the White House and the families who have lived there.
• Heads of State in all Countries of the World
  • Rulers - listing of current and past rulers of all the countries of the world.
  • Elections and Electoral Systems Around the World - This site lists the winners in the latest government elections in countries around the world. Good for reports for social studies.
• Other Government Information
  • The Constitution of the United States
  • Constitutions of the World
  • FedWorld/Flite Supreme Court Decisions Home Page - The full text of over 7000 Supreme Court decisions made between 1937 and 1975.
  • A Field Trip to the United Nations

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United States History

• General Information
  • From Revolution to Reconstruction and what happened next. An online history of the United States.
  • The American Presidency - Do you have to do a report on a president? This is the place to go. Information from three different Grolier Encyclopedias, sound bites from presidential speeches, and results from all presidential elections.
  • The American Memory - A variety of topics in American history illustrated with photos and other materials from the Library of Congress.
  • America's Story - Introduction to American history and geography. Meet amazing Americans, visit the states, travel in time, and learn about America's music.
  • The American Currency Exhibit - The history of money in the United States. There are lots of illustrations.
  • Great American Speeches - Great political speeches of the 20th century with background information.
  • Nature Transformed: The Effect of Environment on American History - Essays on the impact of the environment on the development of America.
  • The Philadelphia Historical Digital Image Library - A searchable collection of historical photographs of Philadelphia compiled by Thomas Jefferson University and The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
• Native Americans
  • Index of Native American Resources on the Internet - A good starting point for your search for information on Native Americans.
  • Native American Nations - Links to web site by and about Native American tribes.
  • NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art - The arts and crafts of New England's native Americans. Very clear explanations of how the native Americans used beadwork, plants, weaving, and pottery.
  • The Navajo Nation - Information on the Navajos of the past and present.
  • A Guide to the Great Sioux Nation - Information on history, art, and tribes of the Sioux.
  • Sipapu - Take a tour of this computerized reconstruction of the Chetro Ketl Great Kiva of the ancient Anasazi
  • American Indians of the Pacific Northwest - Information and many, many pictures from the American Memory collection.
• African-American History
  • K-12 Electronic Guide for African Resources on the Internet - From the University of Pennsylvania.
  • The African-American Mosaic - Exhibits on African-American history from the Library of Congress.
  • The Afro-American Almanac - This site has biographies, historical documents, and information on historical events. You also might want to try the trivia games.
  • Harlem 1900 - 1940 - Timeline and biographies.
• Asian-Americans
  • Asian-Nation: The Landscape of Asian Americans - information on the history and culture of Asian-Americans.
• Colonization to Revolution
  • The Age of Exploration - A history of exploration with biographies of explorers, an exploration timeline and information on navigating ships.
  • Discoverer's Web - This site has a huge number of links to web sites about explorers of all time periods and all parts of the world.
  • 1492 :An ongoing voyage - Columbus and the new world.
  • Jamestown Rediscovery - History of the colony at Jamestown.
  • The Mayflower Web Page - The Mayflower Compact, the Mayflower passenger list, and lots more information on the first permanent settlement in New England.
  • The Pilgrim Story - The history of the Pilgrims from Pilgrim Museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
  • 13 Originals - Founding the American Colonies. Brief histories of the founding of each colony.
  • Colonial Currency - Plenty of pictures of colonial money.
  • Colonial Williamsburg - Visit a colonial town.
  • USHistory.Org - Information on colonial Philadelphia, and links to other American history sites. By the Independence Hall Association of Philadelphia
  • The World of Benjamin Franklin
  • Virtual Tour of Historic Philadelphia - Take a tour of the most historic mile in America. See Independence Hall, Carpenters Hall, The Liberty Bell and much, much more.
  • The French and Indian War
  • Reference Resources: American Revolution - Huge list of links to web site on the American Revolution.
  • The Revolutionary War - Good list of links to sites on the web.
  • Military Actions of the American Revolution
  • Historic Valley Forge - Visit the site of the winter camp of the Colonial army during the Revolutionary War.
  • Colonial Hall - Biographies of America's founders including the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
  • The Betsy Ross Homepage - Information on the history of the US flag.
• From the Constitutional Convention to 1860
  • The Lewis and Clark Trail
  • The War of 1812 Website - This site has articles, a chronology and battle maps.
  • Mountain Men and the Fur Trade - A history of the fur trade in the Rocky Mountain west with journals and pictures.
  • The Pony Express - One very exciting way to carry the mail.
  • The Minnesota Territory : 1849-1858 - An excellent web exhibit on the people and events that shaped the early years of the state of Minnesota.
  • The Donner Party - Logs of the members of a wagon train who were trapped in the snow in the mountains of the west.
  • The US-Mexican War - Bilingual site. It has a really nice timeline.
  • The Underground Railroad - Great site by the National Geographic
  • The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center - click on the link Slavery's Past to find a timeline, biographies, and sites on the Underground Railroad.
• The Civil War
  • The Civil War Home Page - A general introduction to the Civil War.
  • The Timeline of the Civil War - The events of the war in chronological order with pictures.
  • 4CivilWar.Com - Links to Civil War web sites.
  • The Civil War at a Glance - This site is good if you only need a chronology of the war. This site also has maps.
  • Civil War Battle Summaries - Description of all of the battles of the war. They are listed by state or by campaign - use the menu on the left side of the screen.
  • Antietum - Sept. 17, 1862. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War.
  • The Battle of Chancellorsville - May, 1863. Lee's greatest victory.
  • The Battle of Gettysburg
  • Civil War Artillery - Illustrated description of the weapons used in the war.
  • The Civil War Cookbook - Over 500 recipes from the time of the Civil War.
• From Reconstruction to 1900
  • West Web - A good source for information about many topics in the history of the American west.
  • The Oregon Trail - Read about the history of the trail and the pioneers who traveled along it. Visit important sites along the trail.
  • The Age of Imperialism - The history of the US during the late 19th and early 20th century. Expansion of the US interests to Pacific and Latin America.
• The Twentieth Century
  • The 20th Century - Year by Year - Events for each year of the century plus timelines and news of disasters, entertainment and sports.
  • Decades in 20th Century America - Web links for each decade of the 20th century.
  • American History by the Decades - Excellent listing of history sites for each decade of the 20th century. From the Chico High School Library.
  • World War I: Trenches on the Web - Start your visit at the Reference Library page where you will find links to timelines, biographies, and maps.
  • The Great War - This site has maps and a timeline of events in World War I.
  • The New Deal Network - America during FDR's administration between 1930 and 1940.
  • Remembering Pearl Harbor - Learn more about the attack at Pearl Harbor at this site by National Geographic.
  • The War in Vietnam - A history of the Vietnam war including a timeline and biographies.
  • The Vietnam Veterans Memorial - A monument to the longest and least popular war in American history.

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World History : General History Resources

• Eyewitness - "History through the eyes of those who have lived it". First person accounts of important moments in history from Ancient Greece to modern times.
• A Comparative Chronology of Money - from ancient to modern times. Brief descriptions of the uses of money throughout the ages. There are no pictures.
• The Costume Gallery - Look here if you need to how people dressed in different periods of history. The Library section as links to the various kinds of dress.
• Individual Countries
  • Camelot International - This site has information about Britain from the earliest days up to the present time.
  • Timelines of British History

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Ancient History

Archaeology Resources

• ArchNet - This site covers all phases of archaeology and has links to web sites by location or subject matter.
• Archaeology on the Net - An excellent collection of resources dealing with the science of archaeology.
• Anthropology in the News - Links to current news stories in anthropology and archaeology.
• World Atlas of Archaeology on the Web - Search for archaeological information by country. From About.Com.

Ancient History in General

• Exploring Ancient World Cultures - An excellent starting point for exploring the ancient cultures of Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.
• The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
• The Ancient World - visit ice mummies, the Mayan kings, ancient tombs and more. From Web Exhibits.
• The Ancient World Web Index - Extensive collection of links to ancient history sites.
• Mr. Donn's Ancient History Page - Information and activities for many ancient cultures such as Egypt, Greece, Italy, China and India. There are things here for both teachers and students.
• Daily Life in Ancient Civilizations - Find out about everyday life in ancient China, India, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
• Forum Antiquum - Links to hundreds of internet sites dealing with the ancient Mediterrean world.

Prehistoric Cultures

• Prehistoric Cultures - Web sites for cultures which predate the written word.
• The Life and Times of Early Man - A good introduction to the development of early man from 3 million BC to 25,000 BC.
• Stone Age Reference Collection - Learn how stone tools were made.

Ancient Egypt

• Ancient Egypt on the Web
• Egyptian Mythology Gallery - Information on Egyptian gods.
• Mummies of Ancient Egypt
• Hieroglyphs! - Links to just about everything on the web about Hieroglyphs.
• Ancient Egypt Map
• Egypt Map and Information Page
• Ancient Egyptian Culture
• Ancient Egyptian Social Life
• Pyramids, Mummies and Daily Life
• Life in Egypt
• Mummies of Ancient Egypt
• Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Egyptian Mummies
• Clickable Mummy
• Virtual Mummy
• How to Make a Mummy Mask
• The Mummy Page
• Mummy Making Projects
• National Geographic: Egypt Pyramids
• The Great Pyramid: Building the Pyramids
• Explore the Pyramids

Ancient East and Near East

• Assyria On-Line - Check out the ancient history links.
• The Life and Times of the Babylonians - Just exactly what the title says.
• The Megiddo Expedition - Site of epic battles in ancient times.
• The Ancient Indus Valley - An introduction to the civilization of the Indus Valley. You may also take a virtual tour of Harappa and Mohenjodaro

Ancient Greece

• Hellas.Net - A history of ancient Greece from the stone age to 146 BC.
• Ancient Greece Resources for 6th Grade Social Studies - A guide to some good sources of information. By the Dalton School in New York
• Alexander the Great - Lots of links to sites about Alexander the Great. Notice that there is one section for kids.
• Homer - Information on the Iliad and Odyssey from About.Com.

Ancient Rome

• Ancient Rome - Children's Section - A good introduction to Roman life, and you can click on the Grown Up section to learn more.
• Forum Romanum - History, biographies, and daily life in Rome. This is a Think Quest project.
• The Romans in Britain - Information about Roman life, the Roman army, and a good timeline.

Mesoamerica and South America

• Ancient Mesoamerican Civilizations - The Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec & Aztec. This is an excellent web site with lots of information.
• Ancient Mexico - This site should be named Ancient Mesoamerica. It has a timeline, an interactive map of ancient cities, and information on the gods of Mesoamerica.
• Rabbit in the Moon: Mayan Glyphs and Architecture - Mayan glyphs, calendar information, and lots of links to other Mayan pages.
• Ancient Mayan Cities
• Mayan Calendar Tools - Covert Mayan and Gregorian dates.
• The Ancient Maya - Great list of web links.
• The Mesoamerican Ballgame - Learn about the earliest team sport in history where losing could really mean death. You will need to have version 5 of a browser to see this site correctly.
• Ancient Aztecs - Great site written by students for the ThinkQuest competition.
• Inca Mummies: Secrets of a Lost World - You can unwrap a virtual mummy here.

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The Middle Ages

• The Middle Ages - An introduction to the Middle Ages in Europe.
• NetSerf - The Internet Connection to Medieval Resources. Here you will find links to a great many web sites dealing with the Middle Ages.
• Blooodaxe's History Links - A medieval and Anglo-Saxon resources page.
• The Viking Network Web - Explore the world of the Vikings.
• The Battle of Hastings - 1066.
• The Labyrinth - A World Wide Web server for Medieval Studies.
• The Lives of Medieval Women - An excellent site done by students for the ThinkQuest competition.
• The Medieval Technology Timeline - Information about the tools and technology of the middle ages.

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Asia

• History of China - This site has a timeline in addition to information on Chinese history.
• Chinese Dynasties
• The Ancient Indus Valley
• Ancient India - Information on the Harappan civilization.

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Renaissance and Reformation

• The Virtual Renaissance - Travel through the world of the Renaissance.
• The Galileo Project - Information about the man and his world.
• The Internet Renaissance Band - Listen to the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
• The Elizabethan Costuming Page - Descriptions, pictures, and instructions for creating Elizabethan clothes.
• The Black Plague
• Queen Elizabeth I - Biography and history of events during her reign.

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Modern World History

• 18th Century Resources - Links to web sites on the 18th century. This site covers mainly US, British and European web sites.
• The Chateau of Versailles - Take a tour of this beautiful home of French royalty.
• The French Revolution - An introduction with important events, biographies, and a timeline.
• The Spartacus Internet Encyclopedia of British History, 1700 - 1950 - Covers all aspects of British life during this period.
• The 20th Century - Year by Year - Events for each year of the century plus timelines and news of disasters, entertainment and sports.
• Trenches on the Web - A history of World War I.
• World War I, The Great War - Lots of information on World War I divided by years so that it is easy to find. There are also links to other WWI web sites.
• Modern World History - An introduction to European history in the period from 1919 to 1945. From the British Broadcasting Corporation.

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